Here’s the comprehensive guide to unplanned pregnancy.

Nearly half of pregnancies are unplanned pregnancy. As much as you might like to have full control and carefully plan everything, sometimes things just happen. Whether it’s due to a failure of birth control or a brief lapse in judgment, you can find yourself unexpectedly pregnant and wondering what to do. Sometimes it can seem like an obvious choice. Maybe you’ve been thinking about expanding your family and it’s just come a little earlier than you expected. Or perhaps you’re absolutely sure that having a baby isn’t the right decision for you. But there are also many women who find themselves uncertain about what to do and which steps to take next.

If you need some guidance about how to make the best decision for yourself, the potential baby, and anyone else involved, follow these steps.

Confirm the Pregnancy

It might seem silly, but start by making sure you’re definitely pregnant if you haven’t already. Maybe you’ve made an assumption that you’re pregnant because your period is late or you think you’re experiencing certain symptoms. But it’s always smart to take a test, as well as a second test just to confirm. You don’t necessarily need to have a doctor carry out a test for you (they may just carry out a urine test anyway) but you can make an appointment with your doctor if you want to. You want to know for certain before you start thinking about any decisions.

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See Your Doctor

While you don’t have to get a doctor to carry out a test for you if you take one at home, there are still reasons to make an appointment with either your primary care doctor or OBGYN. They can help you work out how far along in the pregnancy you are, which is important for understanding what options you have available to you. They will ask you when your last period was. If you’re not sure, it’s best to say that instead of guessing. Your doctor might also want to know about any medications you’re taking or any existing conditions.

While you’re making your decision, if you haven’t made one yet, it can be a good idea to think about your health. Start taking a prenatal vitamin and avoid smoking, drinking or taking drugs. This will help to protect your own health, as well as help to ensure a healthy baby if you decide to go through with the pregnancy. There are some other things you might want to avoid, including changing cat litter and eating certain foods.

Speak to Someone About Your Options

If you’re not sure where to start, you might want to begin by speaking to someone about the options available to you. This could be a number of different people, ranging from medical professionals to trusted friends or family members. Getting informed about all your options can help you make the right decision. You might choose to schedule an abortion options consultation so that you understand the process and what it involves. You could speak to someone about adoption if that’s something you’re willing to consider. And you can talk about how choosing to have a baby could affect you.

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Consider the Pros and Cons

Whether to have a baby or not is almost always going to be a big decision. When the pregnancy is unplanned, it’s not always obvious right away whether it’s going to change your life in positive or negative ways. Thinking about the pros and cons of the different options available to you can help you think about it logically. At the same time, it doesn’t have to remove all of the emotion from the equation.

Of course, the major benefit of choosing to have a baby is the love and joy you could experience. If you already have children, the thought of them having a new sibling might be one you enjoy too. But there are potential downsides you might want to consider too. Maybe you feel like it’s not the right time for you, whether that means financially or in terms of your ability to be a good parent. Perhaps you’re not sure if you want to have children at all. Another thing to consider is how pregnancy itself could affect you. It takes its toll on the body and can even affect mental health.

If you’re considering adoption or abortion, both of those could have potential negatives attached. A small percentage of women regret having an abortion, although the majority say it was the right decision for them. Adoption can come with various complications too, especially as there are multiple ways an adoption could work.

Confide in Others

When you’re making a big life decision, it’s not always obvious who you should trust and talk to. You want to make your own decision without too much influence from others, but you also want to get advice and support. If you have a partner, you might want to make this decision together. It can be easier to decide if you know they will support you in your decision. Other people you might talk to include friends, relatives, your therapist or other trusted people in your life who can give you non-judgemental advice. You might want to speak to others who share your values, or you could seek out perspectives that could be different from yours.

Reflect Inwards

It’s important to think about a pregnancy in practical terms, but it’s also important not to ignore your feelings. Reflecting on how you feel about the pregnancy and the thought of having or not having a baby can help you make a decision that feels right for you. Spend time thinking about how you feel now and how you can picture your future. You might not have all the time in the world to make a decision, but there is often time to look inward and figure out what feels right to you.

Making the right decision when you’re unexpectedly pregnant can be tough. But there are several options available to you so you can choose what feels right for your circumstances.

Hope you found this guide for unplanned pregnancy helpful.

Lots of Love

xoxo